Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam is highly likely to feature in the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) Season 15, with strong indications that he will join the Sydney Sixers franchise.
A teaser video posted by the Sydney Sixers on their official social media channels showed a brief glimpse of a player resembling Babar in the Sixers jersey, sparking widespread speculation and excitement among fans.
While the franchise has not yet confirmed the signing, an official announcement is expected ahead of the BBL overseas players’ draft scheduled for June 19.
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Babar Azam, one of Pakistan’s premier batters and a consistent performer across formats, has also received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to participate in overseas leagues.
Alongside Babar, the PCB has granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to 12 other players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf.
Cricket Australia recently released the preliminary list of international players eligible for the BBL draft, which includes top names from Pakistan as well as global stars such as England’s Sam Curran and Alex Hales, New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera, and West Indies’ Shamar Joseph.
The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) draft is also drawing attention with leading cricketers like India’s Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey, West Indies’ Deandra Dottin, and Pakistan’s Fatima Sana featuring in the initial list.
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This year, both the BBL and WBBL drafts have been brought forward to June, allowing franchises more time to finalise their squads. According to Cricket Australia, over 600 overseas players have expressed interest in participating in the upcoming season.
The Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers hold the first picks in the BBL and WBBL drafts, respectively. Each franchise is allowed one pick per round across four salary categories — Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen, who were rested for Pakistan’s recent T20I series against Bangladesh, are eligible to play in the BBL during the window from December 14 to 28.
Meanwhile, pacer Haris Rauf has also received an NOC to participate in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, which kicks off this Friday, and Mohammad Amir has been permitted to continue his T20 Blast stint with Essex until July 18.
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